The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
him, and it fell upon the floor close to the

one soft-stepping old hound got up with
the nimbleness Of expectation, and, with
president gratitude astir in his tail,
vent and snuffed at it. His aspect droop-
ed suddenly, and he looked around in re-
proach at Stephen Quimby, as il suspect.
ing practical joke. But there was no
merriment in the young mountaineer's
face. He threw himself into his chair
with heavy sigh, and desisted for time
from the unsccustomed duty of clearing
away the dishes after supper.
can 'ain't ye got the gumption ter
sense what Eveliny sot the candle in the
winder fur ?" his brother Timothy de-
manded, sbruptly-"ez a sign ter that
thar burned Abs'lom Kittredge."
The other two men lifted their heads
and looked at the speaker with a poign-
ant intensity of interest. 81 lowed ez
much when 1 seen that light ez I war a.
kemin' home las night" he continued;
cit shined spang down the slope acrost
the ruver an through all the laurel; it
looked plumb like star that he'd fell ter
yearth in that pitch-bl night. dun
know how s'picioned it, but ez I stood
thar an gszed knowed somebody war a.
standin' an gain too on the foot-bredge
a mite ahead O. me. / couldn't see him,
an he couldn't turn back an pass me,
the bredge bein' too narrer. He war jes
obligated ter &c on. hearn him breathe
quick; then-pit-pat, pit-pat, ez he walk
ed straight toward that light. An he be
'bleeged ter hev hearn me, fur arter I
crost I stopped Nuthin'. Jes whisper
O. wind, an jes swishin' from the ruver.
| 1 knowed then he he'd turned off inter
the laurel. An went on a-whistlin' ter
make him low ez never spicioned nuth-
in An KEN inter the house an toP
dad ez he'd better be a-lookin' arter Eve
liny, fur 1 blieved she war a-settin' her
head ter run away an merry Abs'lom
Kittredge."
"Waal, amt right up an down sati'-
fled we oughter done what we done," ex-
claimed Stephen, fretfully. at don't
pear edzacly right fur three men ter fire
on one."
Old Joel Quimby, in his arm chair in
the chimney corner, suddenly lifted his
head-a thin head with fine white hair,
short and sparse, upon it, His thin, lined
face was clear-cut, with pointed chin
and an aquiline nose. He maintained an
air of indignant and rebellious grief, and
had hitherto sat silent, gnarled and
knotted hand on either arm of his chair.
His eyes cleaned suddenly from under
his heavy brows as he turned his face
upon his sons. "How could we know
thar warn't but one, eh?"
He had not been candidate for justice
Of the peace for nothing; he had absorb
ed something of the methods and spirit
of the law through sheer propinquity to
the Office. "We.uns wouldn't be persum-
ed ter know" And he ungrudgingly gave
| himself all the benefit Of the doubt that
the law accords.
"That's true wordp' exclaimed Ste
phen, quick to console his conscience.
"Jes look at the fac's now. We-uns in a
plumb black midnight hear man a.
gittin' over our fence; we git our rifles; a.
peekin' through the chinkin' we ketch a
glimge O. him"
"Hal" cried out Timothy, with savage
satisfaction, Eve seen him by the light
she set ter lead him on!'
| H. xuoo kalI owl lo.Ir ,-skl, n II
hooked nose, high cheek bones, fierce
dark eyes, and dark eyebrows, continual
ly elevated and corrugsting his forehead
His hair was thick and short and straight,
and he was clad in brown jeans, as were
the others, the trousers stuffed into great
cowhide boots reaching to the knee. He
fixed his fiery intent gaze on his brother
as the slower Stephen continued, can so
we blaze away"
can one burned FOOLS so onlucky ez
ter hit him an not kill him." growled
Timothy, again interrupting. "An' so
whilst Eveliny runs out a-screamin,' He's
dead he's desdl-ye hev shot him deadp
we-uns make no doubt but he is dead, an
load up agin, lest his friends mought rush
| in on we-uns whilst we hedn't no use O.
our shootin' -irone An, suddint-ye can't
hear nuthin' but jes Dwell hootln' in the
woods, or old Pa'son Bates's dogs howl
in acrost the Cove. An we got out with
a lantern, an thar's jes pool O. blood in
the door yard, an bloody tracks down ter
| the laurel.'
"Eveliny gomez cried the old man,
shifting his hands together; "my lestle
darter The only one ez never gin me
emmy trouble. couldn't hev made out
ter put up in this hyar worl no longer
when my wife died of it hedn't been fur
Eveliny. Boys war wild an mischeevious,
an folks outside don't kerr nuthin' bout
ye-ef they war ter 'iect ye ter Office
'twould be ter keep some other Teller
from hevin' it, 'ksse they 'spise him
more'n ye. An hyar she's ruined off an
merried old Tom Kittredge's gran'son,
Josiah Kittredge's son-when our folks
'ain't spoke ter none o. 'em fur fifty year
Josiah Kittredge's son-ha hal HAP
He laughed aloud in tuneless scorn of
himself and of this freak of froward des-
tiny, and then fell to wringing his hands
and calling upon Evelins.-From Charles